New Burtonwood cycleway link opens in Warrington

Finishing touches have been made to a new shared use path between Burtonwood Village and Warrington, providing a much needed traffic-free route for pedestrians and cyclists.

The new path has been registered and named as ‘Terry O’Neill Way’ in memory of the former council leader and ward councillor for Burtonwood, who passed away in 2019.

The Burtonwood to Omega cycleway is a 1.5km long, brand new tarmac path alongside Clay Lane and Burtonwood Road, between Burtonwood village and Junction 8 of the M62. It consists of a 3.5 metre-wide path with grass verges, new fencing and new lighting along its length.

In the south, it links into the existing shared-use path running around the west side of the M62 Junction 8 roundabout and connects with the rest of the Warrington cycling and walking network on Skyline Drive, Burtonwood Road and Charon Way.

The scheme was funded by a combination of government money via the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership, council borrowing and developer funding from the Omega s106 Agreement. The total scheme cost is expected to outturn at around £1.25m.

Councillor Hans Mundry, Cabinet Member for highways, transport and public realm, said: “This is an important new link on the Warrington cycling and walking network. It came out of the Burtonwood Transport Study carried out in 2015 and is a direct response to requests by local people. It’s fitting that it is named in honour of our former leader, Cllr Terry O’Neill, who did so much to champion the Burtonwood community.

“The new cycleway link is the latest demonstration of how serious this council is to provide better facilities for people wanting to walk and cycle as promoted through the Local Transport Plan. I am very pleased that this path is now open for use.”

Councillor Cathy Mitchell, ward councillor for Burtonwood and Deputy Leader, added:

“This is a very welcome link to Warrington that will be much appreciated by local people in Burtonwood. Indeed, I have already seen many people of all ages walking and cycling along the new path.

“My sincere thanks to officers for their efforts in securing the funding, acquiring the land, and managing the construction process, all of which have not been without their challenges.”

Clare Hayward, chair of the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “We’re delighted to see the Burtonwood shared pathway come to life. It provides an important link between the community and the major employment site at Omega, giving people a viable, safe and healthy alternative to car use.

“Burtonwood is one of eight sustainable travel schemes we have supported through £5m from the Local Growth Fund. A total of 25km of cycleways are being created or upgraded during the programme of investment - part of the wider vision we have for building a greener and more inclusive economy that delivers lasting benefits for local people and businesses.”

A formal opening ceremony will take place following the relaxation of the Covid-19 restrictions.